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California Registered Sex Offender Information Available at Orange County Fair

Friday, July 19, 2002

Contact: (415) 703-5837, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

(COSTA MESA) – Attorney General Bill Lockyer today announced that the Megan's Law system, which provides information on the identity and whereabouts of California's registered sex offenders, is available at the Orange County Fair through July 28.

"We routinely set up our Megan's Law system at several fairs and conferences around the state in an ongoing effort to give all Californians easy access to an important tool they can use to protect their families," Lockyer said. "There have been many cases in which people have discovered that acquaintances or others in positions of trust were convicted sex offenders and then were able to use that information to ensure the safety of their children and loved ones."

Agents from the Attorney General's Bureau of Investigation and officers from the Orange County Probation Department, along with officers from other Orange County law enforcement agencies, are assisting fair-goers as they access the database and search for sex offenders registered in their communities. The Megan's Law terminals, located in Booth 19 in the Orange County Building at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, will be available from noon until 11:00 pm each day during the fair. Since the fair began July 12, 300 to 400 people have searched the database each day.

To access the Megan's Law information, an individual must be at least 18 years old, or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian if a minor, possess a valid California Driver's License or identification card and sign a release stating that they will not use the information for any illegal purpose, such as to commit a crime or discriminate against a registered sex offender. Individuals who search the system by name or by their zip code will be able to view a photo, physical description, and a summary of sex crimes committed by the listed sex offenders.

Enacted in 1996, California's Megan's Law system contains information about 77,000 "serious" and "high risk" registered sex offenders. The information is updated daily, and is available in 13 languages. The system also may be viewed at local law enforcement agencies.